Menu

Home

About

Get Involved

Our Work

Contact

Determination and persistance: Sandya’s story

When Sandya was a small girl, she didn’t have an easy daily life. Sandya is from a tribal village in Mangalagiri, India, and grew up in a small thatched hut with her parents and five siblings. Her parents woke up early each day, working long hours as manual laborers to provide for their family.

Even with all of their hard work, Sandya’s parents still didn’t make nearly enough to provide their children with food, clothing and education. Sandya used to trek deep into the nearby forests with her siblings to collect firewood, leaves and herbal medicines that they would sell at at low price to try to support the family.

When Sandya was sponsored at age nine, her life changed forever. She was able to eat regular healthy meals, and attend school each day ready to learn. Sandya loved school, and participated in all sorts of extra circular activities with her new friends. She graduated from high school with good marks, and to her delight, was accepted into a post-secondary nursing program.

Sandya’s had her fair share of difficulties throughout her studies. After losing her mother to illness when she was 16, her father passed away from a heart attack right before her final nursing exam. Sandya was devastated and greatly shaken right before she had to write the most important test of her education. With great trust in God and confidence in herself, she wrote and passed her exam, completing her nursing program with top marks.

Today, Sandya works as nurse in a local hospital, and makes enough to support herself and her younger siblings. She loves her job, and finds great joy in helping others. She and her sisters are extremely grateful for all of the love and support they’ve received throughout the years. “Today what I am is because of the support of my sponsors,” Sandya says. “Thank you deeply from the bottom of my heart.”